Fourteen 2014 Los Angeles Milken Scholars Join Recipients from NYC and DC for Annual Summit

Published 07/25/2017 in Program Updates

Written 07/25/2017

Fourteen recent high school graduates from the Greater Los Angeles area have been selected as 2014 Milken Scholars. Together with new Scholars from New York City and the District of Columbia, they comprise this year's class of 24 Milken Scholars.

Fourteen recent high school graduates from the Greater Los Angeles area have been selected as 2014 Milken Scholars. Together with new Scholars from New York City and the District of Columbia, they comprise this year's class of 24 Milken Scholars.

More than 250 guests and dignitaries honored them at a Recognition Dinner on Saturday, July 26th at the Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey. It represented the culmination of our Annual Summit, a three-day gathering of Scholars from around the country at Loyola Marymount University, focusing on college preparation, relationship building, and an intellectual exploration of our theme, Opportunity Knocks, with the help of distinguished guest speakers and facilitators.

The program is a joint initiative of the Milken Institute and the Milken Family Foundation. The uniqueness of the Milken Scholars' opportunity lies in the ongoing mentoring, assistance with internships, opportunities for community service, and lifetime access to a wide range of resources throughout their academic and professional careers.

The 2014 Los Angeles Milken Scholars are:

Taylor Chavez, valedictorian of Montebello High School is a National AP Scholar, National Hispanic Scholar, QuestBridge College Match Finalist and a life member of the California Scholarship Federation. Her leadership skills are evidenced by election as president of the National Honor Society and vice president of the Key Club, and selection as a Hugh O'Brien Leadership Representative and a Girls' State Delegate. Taylor heads to Stanford where she will study bioengineering, computer science and business for a career as a biomedical technician.

Carlos Flores, a National AP Scholar and valedictorian at Whittier High School, founded and was president of both BEES, an organization celebrating Bio-, Economical, Educational and Social diversity, and the Amy Biehl Foundation Activist Club focused on human rights. Throughout high school he was Student Advisory Board president and a Debate Club officer. He will be the first in his family to attend a four-year university when he enters Harvard to study political science for a career in law, journalism, or public administration.

Tony Hua is valedictorian and the 2013 Student of the Year at South El Monte High School. He is an AP Scholar with Distinction, QuestBridge College Match Finalist and Edison Scholar. Tony captained the tennis team and founded the school's TESLA engineering club which won first place at the Solar Cup, a national solar-powered boat race competition. He conducted research in an embryology laboratory at UC Davis and was a summer intern at JPL. He will study mechanical engineering at Stanford.

Claire Huang graduated from Diamond Bar High School and is a National Merit Commended Scholar. She was part of a team of students that founded the first California school chapter of the Technology Student Association and served as the entertainment editor of her school newspaper. She devoted over 150 hours as a summer research intern at UCLA's Reed Neurological Center. In preparation for a career as a neuroscientist or neurologist, Claire will study neurobiology and computer science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Daniel Lee is the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies salutatorian and an AP Scholar with Distinction. He served as the co-president of the school's running club and was a student editor for the Korea Daily News. Active in Model UN, he won statewide Best Research Awards in 2012 and 2013. In the UCLA High School Summer Research Program, he worked in the Neptune Lab of the Electrical Engineering Department. Daniel will attend Dartmouth to study electrical engineering and economics.

Kayla McGarrell graduated from Glendora High School as an AP Scholar, National Achievement Scholar and National Honor Society member. For her efforts as president of the Rotary Glendora Interact Club, she was recognized with the Rotary Speech Leadership Award. Kayla was captain of the cross country team and participated in Stanford University's High School Summer College program. She will attend Harvard to study biology and pre-med in preparation for a career as a doctor in the Doctors Without Borders organization.

Jonathan Meng graduated from Santa Monica High School as an AP Regional Scholar and a member of the National Society of High School Seniors. Through his involvement in the UCLA Math Club, he participated in the American Math Competition. He was president of the Chinese Club, a member of both the basketball and volleyball teams and received Red Cross awards for his volunteerism. Jonathan will study psychology and neuroscience at Williams College with a career goal as a social psychologist.

Luis Mora, an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, graduated from Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy while concurrently earning an AA degree in math and natural sciences from Los Angeles Harbor College. As an intern at JPL he reorganized, repaired and upgraded the Radiation Effects database. He was secretary of the Key Club and served as the technology coordinator's assistant. Luis will study mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a career in automotive or aerospace engineering.

William Oh is salutatorian of Golden Valley High School and a U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Semi-finalist, an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Merit Commended Scholar. He was president of the Associated Student Body, Key Club and the Speech and Debate team. Elected as the Student Board Member on the William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board, he also was a member on the Santa Clarita Youth Advisory Board. William will attend Harvard to study government and political science.

Lee Puckett, an Edison Scholar and AP Scholar with Honor, earned straight A's at Long Beach Polytechnic High School and was tapped as an International Ambassador to represent the school at community functions and student government board meetings. He was president of the Engineering Club and lead mechanic on the Solar Cup Team, captain of Team One, the school's top Math Team group, captain of the varsity swim team, and is an Eagle Scout. Lee will attend Cornell to study chemical engineering.

Linda Shin, a National Merit Scholar Finalist from Granada Hills Charter High School, is an AP Scholar with Distinction and QuestBridge College Prep Scholar who earned the top score of 5 on all of her AP Exams. She has conducted both neuroscience and bio-behavioral laboratory research as a summer intern at UCLA. A championship debater, Linda was honored with the National Forensics League Academic All-America Award. She founded her school's Amnesty International club chapter. This fall Linda will study biology at Stanford.

David Tseng, Gabrielino High School's valedictorian, is a National Merit Scholar, a Regents Scholar at UC Berkeley and a National AP Scholar who scored 5's on 11 AP Exams. He earned Renaissance Science Awards in physics and chemistry and Renaissance Math Awards in pre-calculus and calculus and was named the school's Outstanding Junior Male. He held leadership roles in five campus organizations and conducted earthquake research at Cal State L.A. David will attend UC Berkeley to pursue studies in mechanical engineering.

Nathan Williams, valedictorian at Granada Hills Charter School, is an Army ROTC scholarship winner, recipient of a National Hispanic Recognition Program award and an Eagle Scout. He was president and a founder of the Model UN Club and chosen to attend the Model UN Conference in Qatar. He was named the Best Speaker at Stanford's Junior Statesman of America Summer School competition and an Octofinalist at Stanford's National Invitational Junior Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Nathan will study international relations and political science at Harvard.

Shao Zhao, valedictorian of Downtown Magnets High School, is an AP Scholar with Distinction and a Warren Christopher Scholar. This debate champion and team captain earned 15 Top Ten Speaker Awards and three team tournament first-place wins. As a participant in the Academy of Finance, the school's selective Business Magnet program, she completed an additional rigorous course load including a finance class at USC. Shao will be the first in her family to attend college when she enters Harvard to study political science.

2014 Washington D.C., Milken Scholars Announced

The 2014 DC Milken Scholars are:

Sinclair Blue, student council president at the School Without Walls High School, was selected to participate on a panel with esteemed leaders in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. For her volunteer efforts in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, she was recognized with the national Amigos de las Americas American Leadership Award. Sinclair will take a gap year to work as a teacher's aide in the Dominican Republic before heading to Scripps College to study political science, philosophy and economics.

Stewart Gray III is Thurgood Marshall Academy's valedictorian and their first student to be accepted to an Ivy League college. He is a Gates Millennium Scholar, QuestBridge Finalist and Coca-Cola Scholars Semi-finalist. The DC Association of Chartered Public Schools recognized Stewart with the honor of Most Outstanding High School Graduate. He helped found Marshall's robotics team and designed the school newspaper's first website. Stewart will study electrical engineering and science at Stanford University for a career in research and development with the focus on design.

Ekram Jiru, salutatorian at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, received international recognition for co-founding Read to Succeed, a literacy program for elementary English Language Learners. Her academic achievements include AP Scholar, Overall Winner in the state STEM Physics Fair, STEM Awards in Environmental Science and Molecular Biology, the Cornell Book Award, National Mathematics Honor Society, and National Latin Exam Gold Medalist. In preparation for a career as a physician, she will study biochemistry and pre-med at Pomona College.

Daniel Spruill, the valedictorian at Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School, is an AP Scholar and QuestBridge Finalist. He was named the Most Outstanding Mathematician in 2013 by the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools and served as a student representative on the District's Board of Education. A mid-fielder on the soccer team, which he helped found, he was honored with the Student Athlete Award. Daniel will study electrical engineering and computer science at Princeton for a career as an innovator.

2014 New York City Milken Scholars Announced

The 2014 New York City Milken Scholars are:

De Xin Chen, class valedictorian of Manhattan Center of Science and Mathematics High School, is a QuestBridge College Prep Scholar and National College Match Finalist. He was team captain of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and vice president of the National Honor Society. A valued member of the Science Bowl Team, he was also president of the award-winning Math Team and earned the title of 2013 American Mathematics Competition 12 School champion. At MIT he will study chemical engineering.

Shanelle Davis, valedictorian of Benjamin N. Cardozo High School's senior class of 845, will be the first in her family to attend a four-year college in the United States when she enters Harvard. In recognition of her stellar academic record, the Shanelle Davis Academic Achievement Award was created by her Gateway Institute peers. She received top honors each year in Legal Outreach, a college prep program which required an additional 2,300 hours and was a National Honor Society member.

Clarence Kong, an AP Scholar with Distinction at Bronx High School of Science, is not only an outstanding student, he is a remarkable teacher. He helped transition incoming freshman as coordinator of the Big Sib program and served as a student ambassador. An accomplished pianist and certified instructor, he teaches at the Queens Herald School of Performing Arts. He hopes to become a pediatrician and will study medicine at Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education this fall.

Chiara Mannarino received White House Recognition for five years of service tutoring and teaching reading at the Mercy Center in the South Bronx and was a member of the National Honor Society. At Marymount School of New York, she had starring roles in musicals and was a soloist in the Chamber Choir. Chiara edited the school's award-winning literary magazine for three years. This fall, she will study pre-med at Vassar for a career as a pediatrician.

Rasidha Rahman, an AP Scholar at Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, garnered national recognition for her original scientific research on phototriggers in the treatment of cancer. Her projects were accepted into prestigious science competitions including the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium where she was selected as a 2013 delegate and honored with their top prize in Chemistry. Rasidha will become the first in her family to attend college when she enters Penn State University.

Fazeel Sarmad is an AP Scholar with Honor, a QuestBridge Finalist and ambassador for the National Society of High School Scholars. While at Brooklyn Technical High School, he was invited to attend the 2012 Presidential Inauguration and the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine in Boston. This fall, he will enter Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education to study for a career as a primary care physician, becoming the first in his family to attend college.